Locking device for coal-hole covers.



J. BRAUN.

- .1, LOOKING DEVICE FOR COAL HOLE covnns.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1911.

1,003,695. Patentd Sept. 19, 1911.

FILE. 3.

Mm/111ml! INVENTOR I v M Z momvz COLUMBIA PL'ANounAm cm. WASHINGTON. n.c.

JOSEPH BRAUN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR COAL-HOLE COVERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 6, 1911.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911. Serial No. 637,070.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn BRAUN, a subject of the King of Hungary, andresident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LookingDevices for Coal-Hole Covers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in looking devices forcoal-hole covers or scuttles, and has for one of its objects to providea device of this character which is simple in construction, and by meansof which the cover can be easily and effectively locked in position soas to prevent the displacement thereof by walking upon the same or theremoval thereof by persons trying to enter the basement or cellar of thehouse through the coal-hole, or the house through the scuttle in theroof.

WVith these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the

same consists in the combination, arrangement and construction of partshereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that manychanges may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts andminor details of construction without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is avertical section takenthrough a coa1-hole cover provided with the locking means forming thesubject matter of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front elevation ofthe locking means, and Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings a locking device for a coal-hole cover has been shown,but it will be observed that the locking means can be easily made use ofin connection with covers of scuttles in the roof of the house.

In the drawings, the numeral 4: indicates the wall of the basement ofthe house, the coal-hole being indicated by the numeral 5. Flush withthe level of the sidewalk is arranged around the edge of said hole aseat 6, upon which the cover 7 is held. The inner surface of the coveris provided with an eye 8, in engagement with the uppermost link of achain 9, to the lowermost link 10 of which is fastened a, preferably,hookshaped member 11. This hook engages an aperture 12 in the arm 13 ofa bellcrank lever 14, which latter is fulcrumcd at 15 to a base plate16. The base plate is held, for instance, by means of bolts 17 and nuts18 upon the wall of the basement or collar of the house. The free end ofthe bellcrank lever 14 is provided with a handle 19 for well knownreasons. WVith the bellcrank lever is made integral a gear segment 20,provided with ratchet teeth 21, which are adapted to be engaged by apawl 22, the latter being fulcrumcd at 23 to the base plate 16. Theteeth 21 are of such shape that they will permit the bellcrank lever tobe shifted around its fulcrum in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 1 of the drawings, but will prevent the same from turning in adirection opposite to that of the arrow.

It will be observed that the gear segment, with its ratchet teeth, neednot be necessarily made integral with the bellcrank lever but may beattached in any manner known in the art.

The operation of this device is as follows: \Vhen the parts are in thepositions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the chain 9 is heldtaut, whereby the cover is securely locked in position. hen it isintended to remove the cover, the pawl 22 is disengaged from the ratchetteeth, and the handle 19 of the bellcrank lever 14 shifted in adirection opposite to that of the arrow shown in Fig. 1 of the drawingsuntil the bellcrank lever occupies the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. The lower end of the chain is by these operations brought nearerto the upper end of the same so that the hook 11 can be easilydisengaged from the aperture in the arm 13 in the bellcrank lever. Tolock the cover, of course, the reverse operations are necessary, thatis, first the hook 11 is engaged with the arm 13 of the bellcrank lever,the pawl engaged with the ratchet teeth of the gear segment, after whichthe handle 19 of the bellcrank lever is shifted to the right until thechain 9 is drawn taut.

It will be observed that the degree of tautness of the chain dependsupon the position of the bellcrank lever, that is to say how far thesame had been shifted to the right.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a locking device for coal-hole covers, thecombination With a base plate, of a bellcrank lever fulcrumed theretohaving upon its longer arm a handle and an aperture in its shorter arm,a chain depending from a coal-hole cover, a hook secured to thelowermost link of said chain adapted to engage said aperture, a ratchetWheel segment upon said bellcrank lever, and a pawl pivoted to said baseplate adapted to mesh with the teeth of said segment, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

2. In a locking device for coal-hole covers, the combination with a baseplate, of a bellorank lever fulcrumed thereto having upon its longer arma handle and an aperture in its shorter arm, a chain depending from acoal-hole cover, a hook secured to the lowermost link of said chain andadapted to engage said aperture, and coac-ting means carried by saidbase plate and said bellcrank lever for holding the latter inpredetermined positions, substantially as and for the purpose specified.Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 5th day of July, A. D. 1911.

JOSEPH BRAUN. Witnesses:

SIGMUND Hnnzos, S. BIRNBAUM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,-

Washington, D. C.

